Canada Demolished by Fiji 63-10 in Pacific Nations Semi-Final: Face Tonga Next Saturday for 3rd/4th
It wasn’t pretty and a bit painful to watch but it was a reality check of where Canada stacks up against a top 10 team. Canada has qualified for the World Cup but they’ll face better teams than Fiji in the pool round so they have a lot of work to do before 2027. In fairness they were missing a number of key players, Ardron and Rumball from the loose forwards, Olmstead in the second row, Coats, Webster and Coe in the backs, those players make a difference.
Canada’s tackle statistic in the match, according to the World Rugby Pacific Nations website, was a 66% tackle success rate and 155 tackles made. A 66% tackle success rate is not good, when Wales defeated Fiji in the 2023 World Cup they had to make 252 tackles.
Neil Davidson summed it up well in his Canadian Press article, posted below, “The 24th-ranked Canadian men had no answer for the ninth-ranked Pacific Islanders’ athleticism and physicality.” There was one Canadian player who was able to match the physicality of the Fijians and that was #8 Matt Oworu, probably Canada’s best player in the match. He also set up Canada’s only try with Brock Gallagher on his shoulder to finish off the line break. Good on Brock for bringing some energy into the match when he came on.
Canada face Tonga for 3rd/4th in the tournament, Tonga lost to Japan 62-24.
from Canadian Press
Fiji ran in nine tries in overwhelming Canada 63-10 in semifinal play at the Pacific Nations Cup men’s rugby tournament Sunday.
The 24th-ranked Canadian men had no answer for the ninth-ranked Pacific Islanders’ athleticism and physicality. Fiji led 43-3 after a six-try first half and kept the scoreboard turning, albeit a little slower, in the second.
It was the most points conceded by a Canadian men’s side since a 70-14 loss to England, then ranked third in the world, at Twickenham in July 2021.
“A very difficult score line to take in,” said Canada captain Mason Flesch. “We were really looking to back up our performance against Japan. We had a pretty competitive first half against them (Canada trailed 17-10 at the break). We were just looked to build off that but I think Fiji, they just outworked us in the first half.”
Brock Gallagher scored Canada’s lone try while Peter Nelson kicked a conversion and penalty.
After Nelson’s seventh-minute penalty cut Fiji’s lead to 7-3, the Pacific Islanders scored 51 unanswered points before Gallagher scored in the 59th minute.
No. 13 Japan thumped No. 16 Tonga 62-24 in the earlier semifinal at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park to set up a rematch with Fiji in next Saturday’s championship game at America First Field in Sandy, Utah. Fiji won 41-17 when they met in last year’s final.
Canada will face Tonga in the third-place game, also in Sandy. The Canadian men lost 30-17 to Tonga in last year’s fifth-place match.
Kalaveti Ravouvou scored three tries for Fiji with Taniela Rakuro adding two more. Mesake Vocevoce, Etonia Waqa, Eroni Mawi and Joji Nasova scored singles. Kemu Valetini, the older brother of Australian international Rob Valetini, booted six conversions and two penalties.
“The last couple of games we’ve been a little bit slow out of the blocks and I thought today we started with some real vigour and some real good intent and put some score on the board,” said Fiji coach Mick Byrne, an Australian who has spent time as a consultant and sevens coach with Rugby Canada.
“We sort of lost the way a little bit with the discipline but we were able to still put points on the board.”
Fiji outscored Canada 3-0 while reduced to 13 men for 10 minutes early in the second half due to ill-discipline.
Fiji has won six of the 16 previous editions of the Pacific Nations Cup while finishing runner-up five times, third three times and fourth twice. Samoa has won the tournament four times while Japan has three titles.
Canada’s best showings at the tournament were runner-up to Fiji in 2013 and third in 2014.
In earlier play Sunday, the 19th-ranked U.S. Eagles booked their ticket to the 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup in Australia by defeating No. 14 Samoa 29-13 in the fifth-place game. The Americans are the 22nd team to secure World Cup qualification.
The Fiji game was the first for the Canadians since they secured World Cup qualification by virtue of Japan’s 47-21 win over the U.S. last Saturday in Sacramento, Calif.
The six-team Pacific Nations Cup sends three teams to the World Cup but the qualifying path was eased by the fact that Fiji and Japan had pre-qualified by virtue of their performance at the 2023 World Cup.
The Americans join Canada and Tonga in qualifying for the sport’s showcase.
Samoa will now face Chile in a two-legged South America/Pacific Playoff on Sept. 20 in Salt Lake City and Sept. 27 in Viña del Mar, Chile, with the series aggregate winner becoming the 23rd team to qualify for the World Cup while the loser moves on to the Nov. 8-18 Final Qualification Tournament in Dubai to decide the final tournament entry.
Canada and the U.S. both missed out on the 2023 tournament. The Canadian men watched from the sidelines for the first time after losing two-legged qualifying series to the U.S. and Chile. After dispatching Canada, the U.S. then lost series to Uruguay and Chile.
The Canadians, arm in arm, watched in a line as the Fijians performed the Cibi, their traditional pre-match war dance.
Flesch captained Canada for the first time, with skipper Lucas Rumball and vice-captain Ben LeSage both injured. The 25-year-old from Cobourg, Ont., was joined in the Canadian starting 15 by his brother Noah.
Canada finished second in Pool B after beating the U.S. Eagles 34-20 on Aug. 22 in Calgary and losing 57-15 to Japan on Aug. 30 in Sendai. Fiji topped Pool A by defeating Tonga 32-10 and Samoa 29-15.
Canada fell to 3-10-0 all-time against Fiji, having lost seven of the previous eight meetings with the Pacific Islanders.
Sunday’s game was the fifth in charge for Canada coach Steve Meehan, whose record slipped to 1-4-0.
The Pacific Nations Cup is sponsored by Asahi.
Canada Name Squad to Face Fiji on Sunday at 5:35pm PT in Pacific Nations Cup Semi-Final
Canada are missing a number of key players from their famous win over USA that qualified them for the 2027 World Cup. Tyler Adron and Evan Olmstead have returned to France, Lucas Rumball and Ben LeSage are injured, and there’s no word on Cooper Coats who was #10 in that match. Mason Flesch moves from second row to blindside flanker and Callum Botchar gets the start in the engine room.
Peter Nelson remains at #10 from the loss to Japan and the only change in the backline is Noah Flesch coming into the centres. A few changes in the backline reserves, Brock Gallagher is the backup scrum half with Stephen Webb returning to UBC this weekend, Talon McMullin has been called up from UBC and Kainoa Lloyd from James Bay on a 5/3 bench.
The kick off is 5:35pm PT on Sunday and is on TSN.
Canada roster
1. Calixto Martinez (White Rock, BC) – Bayside RFC / Old Glory DC
2. Dewald Kotze (Edmonton, AB) – Strathcona Druids RFC / Seattle Seawolves
3. Cole Keith (Sussex, NB) – Belleisle Rovers RFC / New England Free Jacks
4. Piers Von Dadelszen (Vancouver, BC) – New England Free Jacks
5. Callum Botchar (Vancouver, BC) – James Bay AA / NOLA Gold
6. Mason Flesch (Cobourg, ON) – Cobourg Saxons / Chicago Hounds
7. Siôn Parry (Cardiff, WAL) – Rhiwbina RFC / Ebbw Vale RFC
8. Matthew Oworu (Calgary, AB) – Pacific Pride / Chicago Hounds
9. Jason Higgins (Cork, IRE) – Cork Constitution / Chicago Hounds
10. Peter Nelson (Dungannon, NIR) – Dungannon RFC
11. Josiah Morra (Toronto, ON) – New England Free Jacks / Toronto Saracens
12. Spencer Jones (Cambridge, NZ) – Hamilton Old Boys / Utah Warriors
13. Noah Flesch (Cobourg, ON) – Cobourg Saxons / Chicago Hounds
14. Nic Benn (Caves Beach, AUS) – Utah Warriors
15. Shane O’Leary (Cork, IRE) – Ballina Killaloe RFC / Miami Sharks
16. Jesse Mackail (Palmerston North, NZ) – Bayside RFC / Seattle Seawolves
17. Emerson Prior (Brockville, ON) – Brockville Privateers / Westshore RFC / Utah Warriors
18. Conor Young (Yamba, AUS) – Southern Districts Rugby Club / RFC LA
19. Izzak Kelly (White Rock, BC) – Bayside RFC / Capilano RFC
20. Matt Heaton (Godmanchester, QC) – Ormstown Saracens / RFC LA
21. Brock Gallagher (Edmonton, AB) – Strathcona Druids RFC / Seattle Seawolves
22. Talon McMullin (White Rock, BC) – University of British Columbia
23. Kainoa Lloyd (Mississauga, ON) – James Bay AA / United Rugby Sports Club
from Rugby Canada
The match day roster for Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team’s Pacific Nations Cup semi-final match against Fiji has been named by Head Coach Stephen Meehan.
Canada will kick off against Fiji in the semi-final on Sunday, September 14 at 5:35pm PT / 8:35pm ET at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park in Denver, Colorado.
Canada and Fiji have met on 12 occasions, with Canada recording three victories in the head-to-head series. Canada’s most recent win over the current world No. 9 Fiji came in June 2013 at the Pacific Nations Cup, held at Twin Elm Rugby Park in Ottawa. On that day, Canada edged Fiji 20–18, securing their first victory against the Fijians in 18 years. The two nations last met in August 2019 in Suva, where Fiji earned a 38–13 win.
A few changes have been made by Meehan following Canada’s Pacific Nations Cup loss to Japan on August 30 in Sendai.
Ontario’s Mason Flesch moves to blindside flanker – being appointed captain for the remainder of the Pacific Nations Cup with veterans Lucas Rumball and Ben LeSage out due to injury. Siôn Parry shifts to openside.
Callum Botchar will make his first career start for Canada at lock, while Noah Flesch returns to the starting XV at outside centre. Izzak Kelly, Brock Gallagher, and Talon McMullin have been named to the match day roster for the first time in this year’s Pacific Nations Cup. The trio last featured for Canada in the opening test match of 2025 against Belgium on July 12 in Edmonton.
Kainoa Lloyd has been named to the bench in the No. 23 jersey, marking his first appearance for Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team since facing Brazil in November 2023. The 31-year-old holds 24 caps for Canada and 10 international tries.
“The team has had valuable time together here in Denver since our match against Japan. Players and coaches have been working hard on improving our performances with each game we play, and we all want to come away with a performance that we are proud of,” said Head Coach Stephen Meehan. “We’re confident in the preparation we have been putting in, and the work rate from the players has been commendable. Fiji provides another good challenge for our team that we are looking forward to.”
Last weekend, Canada’s Men’s Rugby Team officially secured qualification for the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027, following Japan’s victory over the United States in the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup and Canada’s own 34–20 win over the United States at Calgary’s McMahon Stadium on August 22. With qualification confirmed, Canada becomes the 21st nation to book its place at rugby’s pinnacle competition and will make its 10th Rugby World Cup appearance, having competed in every edition except 2023. While the primary objective of securing World Cup qualification has been achieved, the team remains firmly focused on progressing further in the Pacific Nations Cup.
“Being given the responsibility to lead the team, lead all my best mates into finals in the PNC… it means a lot, and we are up for the challenge.” Said Captain Mason Flesch, “I think for a lot of us it (RWC Qualifying) sparked focus and a lot of dedication that when we’re away from the team and the environment, we are going to put the work in and the graft for the biggest sporting event in rugby.”